Rail clamp with concentrated control



Feb. 28, 1928,

W. F. ZIMMERMANN RAIL 'CLAMP WI'TH CONCENTRATED CONTROL 4 a @nz l 65 o1v s.

Filed March 5. 1926 Z O kv n w n @lo Patented Feb. 28, 1928.

UNITED; star rarest osi-erica.

WILLIAM F. ZIMMERMANN, onfnrnrnnwoon, naarJERSEY,Y Assonon l"ro GOULD &EBERHARDT, on NEWARK, NEWJERSEY, A ooaieonarron 'ornnw JERSEY.

RAIL CLAMPv WI-TI-I CONCEN"..RA'.LED` CONTROL.

Application filedv March` l5, 1526. Serial No.. 32,562.

Shapingl machines, as commonly con structed, comprise a frame, a toolcarrying ram horizontally movable on the trame, a

cross-rail vertically adjustable 'on the frame aud a Work-tablehorizontally adjustable lengthwise of therail and transverse to thedirection of moven'ient of the ram. rlhe cross-rail is usually secured fto the 'frame by means of tivo clamps, one loca-ted at each side o'f theshaper frame, and Which are manually operatedV from opposite sides ofthe machine.

In the operation of these machinetools itfrequently becomes necessary tochange the elevation of the Work-table. 'Ihis adjustment is eiIec-ted bymeans of apsuitable elevating screw which has a threaded. connectionwith a nut carried by the cross rai-l` thus by ell'ecting` relativerotation betwen.

the screw and nut the cross rail, and. the wo1l-:-table carried thereby,may be adjusted vertically. However, before this adjustment may be madeit is necessary that the operator release the railclamps at both sidesof the machine and after the desired fad/just.- ment is effected'theclamps must againlbe tightened. In most Shapers the actuating crank forvthe elevating` meclninismv located at the side of the machine where theoperator no mally stands duringv the operation of the machine. To changethe elevation of the Work-table in a Shaper-so constructed, the operatortir-st.Y releases the clamp on his side ot the machine and. thon Walksaround the machine and releases the otherv clamp. He then returns to hisoriginal position and actuz'itcs the elevatingN mechanism. After having?secured the desiredcsetting oi the cross-rail he sets the clamp on hisside vof the machinigapjain Walks around the machimrfand sets the otherclamp and returns to his original position, having' necessarily walkedaround the machine twice in effectingthe adjustment.-

Certain other Shapers have the shaft for the rail-elevating' cranklocated at the far side oif the machine. In these machines the op eratoreffects the adjustment of the rail While at the far side of the machineand sets the clamp at that side before returniinal to his original'position. thereby .reducing his journeys by one, but evenin this latterltype konly consumes considerable time but it also distra'cts hisattention from his Work yWhich results in a considerable lossinfetiiciency andl production. has for an object to provide simple andeiii`- cient means for actuating hoth of thev rail clamps of a shaperfrom the opcratons side thereof, thereby eliminating the necessity ofhis Walking around-themachine in` effecting a vert-ical,adjustment ofthe work-table.

Heretotore in certain machine tools at# tempts have been madepto:actuatespaced clampsby means of a singleclamp-actuating shaft operativelyconnected to clamps located at opposite sides lof the machines, .so thatrotation of the shaft willV sin'iultaneous; lyactuate both clamps.VV Ithas been found, however, that it is practically impossible so to keepvthe clamps adjusted that they. will both tighten at exactly the .sametime and. that therefore one clamp will usually tighten ahead of theother thereby stopping` rotation of theshaft and j necluding completetightonine` of thelooser clamp. f

, To overcomethis condition equalizing devices Were embodied in theclamp-actuating means but this resulted in complicated constructionsWhichV Were costly lto build. Also these'prior deviccsincluded powermultiplyingconnections and occasionally an operator would apply toolgreat power thereto with the result that parts of the clampactuatingmeans would be either broken or strained.

This invention proposes a clampingV means for shaper rails by means o'fwhich eachr clamp may be actuated independently ofV the other` from theoperators side ot. the machine and which is devoid' of equalizi'ng meansand power multiplying-connections.

Another object ot this invention is toprovide simple and eiiicient meanswhereby lthe operator may, Without moving from hisnor'- mal Workin`position, actuate, individually r)This invention;l therefore y andin anydesired order, a plurality of segregated clamps of which at least one islocated Vremote from the operator.

lNhile this invention is shown and de.- scribed in connection withshapers, to which it is particularly adaptable, it is perceivedv that itmight also be used to advantage in other types of machine tools and suchother uses are contemplated.

Other objects and advantages will be in partv indicated in the followingdescription and in part rendered apparent therefrom int Vthe line a-a ofFig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a.

vertical section on the line of Fig. 1. e

Referring more specifically to the drawings the invention is disclosedas embodied in a Shaper comprising a main frame 1 provided, at its upperend, with suitable guide ways within which is slidably mounted, forhorizontal reciprocation, a ram 2 carrying the usual tool t. The ram isreciprocated back and forth by conventional mechanism which forms nopart of this invention and which therefore is designated generally as 3.Beneath the ram there `is located the usual work-table 4 adapted tosupport the work to be acted on by the cutting tool. This worktable issupported primarily by, and is horizontally adjustable on, a cross-rail5 fitted to verticallydisposed guid-eways 6 and 7 located at oppositesides of the main frame 1. The cross-rail and its attached work-tableare adapted to be shifted vertically on the main frame to vary theposition of the work with respect to the tool. This adjustment iseffected by means of a screw 8 having a threaded engagement with asuitable nut carried by the cross rail whereby relative rotation betweenthe nut and screw shifts the rail Yand table vertically. Inasmuch as thetable elevating meansforms no part of the present invention detailedillustration and description thereof is deemed unnecessary. It isbelieved that, for the purpose of this disclosure, it will suce to saythat the relative rotation between the nut and screwyis effected bymeansof a shaft 9 journaled `the cutting operation.

may rotate the shaft and thereby effect vertical adjustment of thetable. Y j

The desired setting of the table having been obtained, it is thennecessary that. the rail be securely locked to the main frame topreclude any movement of the parts during Y This locking is effected byclamps c and d, located at opposite sides of the main frame, which serveto draw `the finished faces 5a and 5b of the rail tightly against thevertical guide-ways 6 and 7 provided by the main frame. These clampsconsist respectively of straps 10 and 11 engaging finished surfaces orguidcways 12 and 13, of heavy verticallydisposed flangeslet and 15provided by the main frame. Each of these flanges 's slotted verticallyas at 16 to permit free passage of suitable clamp-ait justing andclamp-actuating boltslaterto be described. The straps 10 and 11 and therail 5 are maintained in sliding contact with the fianges 14 and15 bybolts 17 (shown in Fig. 1 only) passing through apertures in the straps,through the slots 16 in the frame, and threaded into the cross rail.These bolts maintain the parts freely shiftable and prevent the tableand rail from tipping forwardly when the clamps are releaser.

Clamping of the rail to the .frame is effected by draw-bolts 18 and 1S)located, respectively, at the operators side of the machine and at the`si de remote therefrom. The

bolt 18 forming a part of the clamp c passes" A freely through anaperture 20 in the strap 10, then through the slot 16 in the fiange 14and is threaded into the rail at 21. The head 18h of the bolt 18 isseated against the strap 10 and is readily accessible to the operatorwhen standing in his normal working position at the right side of themachine shown in Fig. 1 and therefore he may, at any time, apply asuitable wrench thereto to loosen or tighten that clamp without changinghis position.

The clamp Z at the opposite side of the.

position as he may actuate the'clamp c. rl`his improved clamp actuatingmeans comprises a shaft 22 journaled lengthwise of the cross rail inbearings 23 and 24 and formed at the operators side ofthe machine withaI hexagonal head 25 similar in shape and size to the head 18h of thebolt 18, whereby it may be rotated by the same wrench utilized to turnthe bolt 18. VThe bolt 19, forming a part of the cla-mp d, passes freelythrough f an aperture `in the strap 11, through the slot 16 in thefiange 15,`and then through an un threaded bore 26 in the cross rail.Upon the temer inner end of the bolt 19 is threaded a nut 27 having'`its periphery formedv as a worm- `wheel with which meshes a worm Q8 cuton the shaft 22. A. collarQQ pinned to the bolt 19 prevents the nut 27from being unthreaded from its bolt. The sliavftQfQ is held againstaxial movement by collars 30 and 3i pinned thereto and engaging oppositewalls of the bearings 23 andV Qlttlierefore rota-tion of the shaft will,through the worm and worm-gear, likewise effect rotation of the nut 27.nut bears against a boss 32 on the rail 5 and is thereby held' againstmoving inwardly on the bolt 19. The resultant effect is that theboltfltl is moved axially toward the shaft 22. This axial movement ofthe bolt 19 causes its head 19h 'forcibly to engage the strap 11 therebydrawing it against the face 13 of the fiange 15 simultaneously with likeengagement of the face 5b of the rail with the guide 7 provided by themain frame, thus the rail will be firmly clamped to the frame withoutany tendency to bendeither the rail or the frame. Thehead 1911 ispreferably adjustable relative. to the bolt 1dk to effect an initialsetting of the clamp so that it may be tightened or released by onlyslight rotation of the shaft 22. A j am-nut 33 threaded on the bolt 19behind the head 19 serves to maint-ain the head in its adjustedpositions. A lrey Sel, set into the bolt 19, has its projecting edgefitted into a. way 35 formed in the strap 11 and serves tov hold thebolt against rotation but permits it to move axially under the action ofthe nut 27'.

From vthe foregoing it will be perceived that this invention providessimple and eilicient means whereby the operator selectively andindividually and with a single wrench may actuate both of the railclamps of a shapcr without moving` from hisvoperative position at themachine.

l/Vithoutfurther analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gistof rthis inven-r tionthat others can,'by applying current knowledge,readily adapt it for various utilinations by retaining one or more ofthe features that, from the standpoint of the prior art, fairlyconstitute essential characteristics of either the generic orspecificaspects of this invention and, therefor, such adapt-ations should be,and are intended to be, comprehended within the meaning and range ofequivalency of the following claims.

Having thus revealed this invention, I claim as new and desire to securethe following combinations and elements, or equiv# alents thereof, byLetters Patent of the United States: Y

1. A Shaper combining an upright frame;

a cross-rail vertically adjustable on the frame; two independent lclampslocated at opposite sides of the frame each acting independently tosecure the rail to the framev in its ladjusted positions meanscomprising al vclan-iping Abolt located at the operators o side ofthemachine to'actuate the clamp at that side of the machine; a clampingbolt veinhodiedin the clamp at vthe other side of cluding` a leverlocated at one side of said,A

machine for effecting vertical adjustment ofk said rail on ksaid frame;a clamp located at said side of the frame for securing the rail to theframe; acclamp located at the opposite side of lthe machine fer securing:said rail inits adjusted positions; means to actuate said clamp fromthe side ofthe niachine where the adjusting lever is located, said meansincluding ay shaft rotatably but non-translatably journaled in'saidrail; and an operativel connection kbetween said shaft and said clampwhereby the latter is'actuated by rotary motion of the former.

3. A shaper combining alframe; a rail ad,-

justably mounted on the frame; a single clamp Vat eachside of said frameto' secure the rail to the frame; means to actuate said clamps eachindependently of the otlierfrom one side ofthe machine, one of saidclamp actuating means comprising aibolt passing freely through oneyoffs'aid elements and threaded into the other; means permitting awrench to be engaged with said bolt to cause it to be rotated thereby todraw said members into frictional contact;.a bolt passing freelyVthrough both said frame and rail adjacent the other clamp; a clampingnut threaded on said last named bolt; a shaft l extending lengthwise ofsaid railand terminating at the side of the machine'where said firstmentioned clamp is located; means` permitting a shaft actuating elementto be secured to said shaft; and a gear connectionV between said Ashaftand said nut whereby actuation of said shaft rotates said nut andoperates thelast mentioned clamp.

tuating devicesv comprising a manually actuable shaft journaled in saidcross-rail and extending to the Yremote clamp, said shaft being formedadjacent-*the operator to receive an actuating element; a clampactuating bolt; and an operativev oolrlneoion between sai-d shaft andsaid bolt to cause said bolt to be moved axially thereby tov aotuatesaid last named clamp when said shaft is actuated; b

5. A shapei 'combiningo frame; a cross Y rail vertically adjustablethereon; clamping devices located ab opposite sidesA of `the Shaper forclamping the rail tolli@ frame;

the remote side of the machine from the operator when in his normalWorking position to actuate the, clamp .at that', side.

'In WitnesS whereof, I lizweuliereun'to sub-V soribed my name;

` WILLIAM RZIMMERMANN.

